SUNY Potsdam Camps Create Opportunity for Area Youth

07.08.10

SUNY Potsdam’s Center for Lifelong Education and Recreation (CLEAR) continues to be a hub of activity for kids this summer, with many summer camp opportunities for young athletes, performers and princesses alike.

The Crane Youth Music Camp, founded in 1972, celebrates a heritage of outstanding and cost-effective musical training for young musicians, ages 12 through 18, throughout the eastern United States. Rebecca Kelly Ballet Onstage experience gives local dancers an opportunity to work first-hand with professional dancers from the Rebecca Kelly Ballet dance company, which is based in New York City.

Both of those world-class arts camps are wrapping up on the SUNY Potsdam campus this week. Several unique summer programs are still welcoming participant registration.

The Performing Arts Summer Camp begins with sessions starting on July 26 and invites young people of all experience levels to learn the process of creating and performing theatre and dance. This camp incorporates all aspects of theatre, from behind-the-scenes set designs to writing plays, as well as acting and performance. This innovative program is open to students in grades K-12 and culminates in performances on Saturday, Aug. 14.

“Camps are a great way for kids to try something new and have fun while learning new skills,” said Kevin Neely, CLEAR’s director of summer camps.

Last year’s most popular camp, the Princess Day Camp, allows girls ages three through six to engage in dance, art projects, and crafts. This week of creativity and fun includes singing and dancing to popular Disney songs, dressing up as princesses, and meeting a princess in person.

August is also for athletes, when SUNY Potsdam offers a Bears Hockey Player Development Camp. This day camp focuses on improvement of players' skating technique, stick–handling skills, shooting, and passing skills through practice and repetition for boys and girls up to age 17.

Soccer players also have the opportunity to participate in the Bears Soccer Academy, which will focus on teaching fundamental soccer skills integrated with agility, balance and coordination exercises along with small-sided soccer games. This weeklong day camp will provide fun and learning for youth entering grades K-12.

For more information or to register for any of these upcoming summer camps, please contact the Center for Lifelong Education and Recreation at (315) 267-2167 or visit www.potsdam.edu/community/camps/day.

Founded in 1816, SUNY Potsdam is a four-year liberal arts college nestled on the outskirts of the Adirondack Park. Among the 64 units of The State University of New York system, SUNY Potsdam has the longest history and currently enrolls approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students. It is well known for its academically challenging liberal arts and sciences and teacher education programs, as well as its world-renowned Crane School of Music.